Carton-blank separator



Aug; 1927.

H. K. BECKER ET AL CARTON BLANK SEPARATOR Filed. Aug. 14. 1925 4" Sheets-Sheet 2 ug H. K. BECKER ET Al.

` CARTON BLANK SEPARATOR Filed Aug. 14, 1925 ,4 Sheets-Sheet `3- ..9l Aug 1927 H. K. BECKER ET Al.

CARTON BLANKSEPARATOR La sheets-sheet 4 Filed Aug. 1,4, 1925 Patented Aug. 9, 1927.

' UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

I-IAZEN KIRKE BECKER ANI) EMIL G. JRGENS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO PETERS MACHINERY COMPANY, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION 0F ILLINOIS.

CARTON-BLANK SEPARATOR.

Application filed August 14, 1925. Serial No. 50,260.

rllie main objects of this invention are to provide improved means for separating cards, carton blanksl and the like from a stack whereby they may be fed to a machine by which they are operated upon individually; to provide an improved separator of this kind whereby the cards may be lifted one at a time, from the top of the stack; to provide means for elevating the entire stack in a step-by-step movement so as to bring the uppermost card in position to be acted upon by the separator; to provide improved means for automatically interrupting said elevating means to insure against a too rapid feeding of the cards to the separator; and to provide means of this kind which is particularly adapted for use in separating cardboard blanks from a stack so as to permit them to be fed rapidi y one at a time to mechanism which folds the blanks into cartons.

' An illustrative embodiment of this invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a separating machine to which this invention is applied, part of the frame being broken away for the sake of clearness.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, taken from the right of F ig. 1.

F ig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a detail section showing the lifting mechanism, the view being taken on kthe line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Figs. 5 and 6 are details in elevation of the lifting mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary vertical section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. l.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are details of the mechanism which interrupts the feeding of the carriage to prevent choking of the machine caused by a too rapid feeding of the blanks to the separator.

In the specific construction herein shown, the invention is applied to a machine wherein a stack of carton blanks are fed, one at a time, to a mechanism which lines each blank with a sheet of lining paper and forms it into a carton. The folding and lining mechanism does not constitute a part of this invention and a description thereof is believed to be unnecessary in this case. As herein illustrated, a stack of blanks is supported in a magazine by a vertically movable carriage automatically interrupting the operation of the carriage elevating mechanism when the uppermost blank exceeds a predetermined height.

In the specific construction shown, the carton blank separator. comprises an upright frame 1 having a vertically movable carriage 2 for supporting a stack of cartonblanks 3 Which are adapted to be elevated thereby in a step-by-step movement so as to locate the uppermost blank in position to be acted upon by` separating mechanism 4 which is adapted to deliver the blanks, one at a time, to a feeding and conveyer mechanism 5.

The frame l includes a pair of end bearing members 6 supported on posts 7 which are mounted on a base 8. Mounted on the base 8, are vertical guidewavs 9 which form a magazine for the stack of blanks 3. Ar,

ranged at the ends of the magazine, are vertical posts 10 mounted in socket members 11 and 12 for slidably supporting the carriage 2.

The carriage 2 is in the form of a plate which fits Within the guideways 9 and'whioh is provided With bearing parts 13 slidably embracing the posts 10. The carriage 2 is fastened to one side of a pair of endless chains 14 which are driven by sprockets 15 fixed on a shaft 16 journaled in the frame l. The chains 14 also pass around idlers 17 mounted on the socket members 11. The shaft 16 is suitably geared to a vertical shaft 17 on which is fixed Aa ratchet 18 adapted to be rotated by means of a pawl 19. The pawl 19 is carried by an arm 20 having a bearing part 21 at one end thereof which loosely embraces the shaft 17.

The other end of the arm 2O is hinged tol a link 22 has a pin and slot connection 25 with the arm 23, which permits adjustment of the throw of the pawl 19 for controlling the distance through which the carriage 2 is elevated at each step. In order to Apermit the carriage 2 to be manually lowered after the last blank has been removed therefrom, a crank 16.1 is mounted on the shaft 1`6 and is adapted to be operatively connected thereto by means of a clutch 16.2. A handle 17.1

mounted on the upper end of the shaft 17 permits the carriage 2 to also be raised manually.

In the construction shown, the improved separating mechanism 4 includes a lifter 26 which is in the form of a bell crank lever fixed on a rock shaft 27 journaled in one of the frame members 6 and which is arranged for a limited axial movement. Mounted on one end of the lever 26, is a needle 28 and onv the other end is a roller 29 which rides on a cam 30 fixed on a rotatable shaft 31 which is journaled in theframe member 6 adjacent the rocker shaft 27 and substantially parallel thereto. The bell crank lever 26 is heavier at its needle end than at its other end so that the needle is normally urged downwardly to penetrate the uppermost blank in the stack. During the downward movement of the needle, it is also moved transversely of the stack so as to force the needle to penetrate the blank at an incline. The transverse movement is imparted to the needle by a spring 32 which is secured to the outer end of the rocker shaft 27 and to the frame member 6, so as to shift the shaft 27 axially inwardly. The cam 30 is wide enough to permit the roller 29 to ride across its periphery during the axial movement of the bell crank lever arm '26. The rotatable cam 30 is arranged to lift the needle 28 for raising one end of the uppermost blank away from the remainder of the stack so as to permit 'itkto be transferred to the ccnveyer. Also mounted on the rotatable shaft 31, is a second cam 33 which engages a roller 34 mounted on the outer endof the shaft 27 for retracting the rocker shaftagainst the action of the spring27. rlhe shaft 31 is driven by means of a chain 35 which engages a sprocket 36 fixed on the outer end of the shaft. v

In the specific form shown, the separating mechanism also includes means for pushing the uppermost carton toward the conveyor when its end has been raised from the stack by the needle 28. As herein illustrated, this is accomplished by means of a pair of friction rollers 37 Amounted on a shaft 38, journaled in the bifurcated end of an arm 39 which is pivoted to an arm 40 fixed on a. rocker shaft 41. Mounted on the arm 39, is a pawl 42 arranged to engage a ratchet 43 iixedon the shaft 38 for locking the rollers 37 against rotation when the arm 39 is moved inwardly to urge the carton blank toward the conveyor. The shaft 41 is journaled in bearings 44 and has an arm 45 fixed on its outer end which is connected,

by means of a rod 46, to a crank 47 which is fixed on a driven shaft 48 journaled in the frame. The arm has a pin and slot connection 49 with the rod 46 so as to permit an adjustment of the throw of the arm 39. The shaft 48 is driven by the shaft 24 through a chain 50.

ln order to prevent the lifter needle 28 from picking up more than the uppermost blank, means is provided for disengagmg the pawl 19 from the ratchet 18 in theevent that the uppermost blank in th-e stack exceeds a predetermined height'. This momentarily interrupts the elevation of the carriage 2. The interrupting mechanism includes a bell crank lever 51 having an- 1' arcuate arm 52 which is located in position to hold the pawl 19 in an inoperativeposition when the lever 51 is rocked around its pivot. rlhe arm 52 is sufficiently long to permit the pawl 19 to continue `to -move back and forth under the action of the rod or link 22 even when it is inoperative. lThe other end'of the bell crank lever 51 is pivoted to the upper end of a link 53. The lower end of the link 53 is pivoted t-o the outer end of a lever arm 54 which is pivoted on the frame adjacent the upper end of the magazine. rThe inner end of the arm 54 carries a roller 55 which is adapted to ride on top ofthe stack of blanks so as to actuate the bell crank lever 51 when the uppermost blank exceeds a predetermined height.

1n the specific form shown, the conveyer mechanism 5 includes a spiral conveyer 56 and a horizontal conveyer 57 arranged ad A57 comprises two sets of rollers 60 and 461 arranged one above .the other so as to permit the blanks to pass between them. VThe lower set of rollers carries endless belts62 i on which the blanks are conveyed. The two sets of rollers are geared togetherY by gears 63 and are driven by a chain 64.

In operation, a stack of the carton blanks isplaced on the carriage 2.which moves upwardly, step-by-step, through the acti-on ofthe pawl 19 and ratchet 18. The needle 28 is moved downwardly at an inclineso as to penetrate the uppermost blank :adjacent one end thereof. rLlhe needle .is then raised y bythe action of the cam 29 so as to pick 130 los lli)

Llll' up the end of the top blank and permit it to be transferred to the spiral conveyer 56. W'hen the separated end of the blank approaches the top of the spiral conveyer, the arm 39 moves inwardly so as to push the blank onto the horizontal conveyer. If the carriage 2 is elevated more than the thickness of a blank at each step, the arm 52 is shifted so as to momentarilyinterrupt the operation of the elevating mechanism.

Although but one specific embodiment of this invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details of the construction shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

Ve claim:

l. A ydevice of the class described comprising a magazine adapted to support a stack of cards, a horizontal conveyer located at one side of said magazine, lifting means adjacent the upper end of Asaid magazine adapted to penetrate the uppermost card and to separate a portion thereof from the stack, a second conveyer arranged to elevate said separated card portion to said horizontal conveyer, and means arranged to push the uppermost. card onto said horizontal conveyer while its said portion is elevated.

2. A device of the class described comprising av magazine adapted to support a stack of cards, a horizontal conveyer located at one side of said magazine, a lifter adapted to penetrate the uppermost card for lifting one end thereof from the stack, a second conveyer arranged to elevate said separated card end to said horizontal conveyer, and means arranged to move the uppermost card onto said conveyer while its said one end is raised above the stack.

3. A device of the class described comprising a magazine adapted to support a stack of cards, a horizontal conveyer located above and to one side of said magazine,a lifter adapted to separate one end of the uppermost card from the stack, a spiral conveyer arranged to elevate said separated card end to said horizontal conveyer', and means arranged to move the uppermost card onto said horizontal conveyer while its said one end is elevated.

4. A device of the class described comprising a magazine adapted to support a `stack of cards, a horizontal conveyor located above and to one side of said magazine, a-lifter adapted to separate one end of the uppermost card from the stack, a spiral conveyer arranged to elevate said separatedcard end to said horizontal conveyer, and a friction element arranged to push the uppermost card onto said horizontal conveyer while its said one end is elevated.

5. A device of the class described comprising a magazine adapted to support a stack of cards, ahorizontal conveyer located above and to one side of said magazine, a lifter needle adapted to penetrate the uppermost card. for lifting one end thereof from the stack, a spiral 'conveyer arranged to elevate said .praised card endV to said horizontal conveyer, and a friction element arranged to shift said uppermost card onto said hori-V zontal conveyer while its said one end is elevated. v

6. A device of the class described comprising a 'vertically movable carriage for supporting a stack of cards, a substantially tal conveyer, and a friction element arranged to move said uppermost card onto said horizontal conveyer while its one end is elevated.

7. A device of the class described comprising a magazine adapted for supporting a stack of cards, a needle arranged above said magazine, mechanism for moving said needle downwardly and transversely whereby said needle penetrates the uppermost card at an incline thereto for lifting one end thereof from the stack, and means arranged to move the uppermost card to one side of said magazine while its one end is elevated.

8. A device of the class described comprising a magazine adapted for supporting a stack of cards, a lever arm pivotally mounted on a horizontal aXis adjacent the upper end of said magazine, means for axially shifting said lever arm, other means for simultaneously rocking said lever arm, a needle on the end of said lever arm arranged to penetrate the uppermost card for lifting one end thereof from the stack, and means arranged to move the uppermost card to one side of said magazine while its one end-is elevated.

9. A device of the class described comprising a magazine adapted for supporting a stack of cards, a bell crank lever arm pivoted on a horizontal aXis adjacent' the upper end of said magazine, a needle mounted on one end of said arm adapted to penetrate the uppermost card for lifting it from the stack, said one end being normally urged downwardly, a spring arranged to shift said arm axially 1n one direction for moving said needle transversely during its downwardv movement, a cam arranged to retract said arm axially against the action of said spring, and another cam coacting with the other end of said lever arm for lifting said one end and needle.

10. A device of the class described comprising a frame having a magazine for supcamscoatlhg Wlth the other end vQf svald levelaim' for rockmg' Sad rocker shaft t'ollft,

saidwlgiedl fr saparatng the upije'rmostrw Hmmm BECKER- EMLA G. JURGENS.

11th of*y 20 

